“He is starting to get angry” — Ex-Galatasaray on Osimhen’s open play goal drought

By Monsurah Olatunji

Former Galatasaray player Gökmen Özdenek has come to the defense of Nigeria international Victor Osimhen, describing the striker as “angry” over his recent struggles in front of goal.

Osimhen, who has been a key figure for Galatasaray since joining, was visibly frustrated with his teammates following their disappointing 1-1 draw against relegation-threatened Hatayspor.

Despite his impressive start to life in Turkey, where his goals helped Galatasaray open up a significant lead in the Super Lig, Osimhen has been unable to find the back of the net from open play in recent matches.

In his last eight Super Lig appearances, Osimhen has scored five goals, but four of those have come from the penalty spot. His only goal from open play during this stretch came in a 2-0 victory over Göztepe, leaving many to question his recent dip in form.

Özdenek, who enjoyed a successful stint at Galatasaray, has now offered an explanation for the Nigerian’s lack of goals. Speaking to GS Gazete, he criticized Galatasaray’s creative players for failing to provide adequate service to Osimhen.

“Galatasaray cannot send the balls they want to Osimhen,” Özdenek said.

“Icardi is a player who plays more with his teammates, but Galatasaray’s other wingers and full-backs should be feeding Osimhen. I see that he is starting to get angry. He is a little right.”

Özdenek also pointed out that despite dominating possession and creating opportunities, Galatasaray’s inability to convert chances against Hatayspor was a missed opportunity.

“Under normal circumstances, the Hatayspor-Galatasaray match could have ended 7-0 or 8-0, but it did not,” he added.

“These things happen in football. You beat teams like Göztepe and Başakşehir, and then you drop two points to Hatayspor. This is how things are. The calculations at home do not match the market.”

As Osimhen continues to search for form, many fans are hoping that Galatasaray’s creative players will find a way to support the striker more effectively, enabling him to return to his goal-scoring ways.

Samuel Ahmadu

Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.

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